This invention relates generally to accessories for in-line roller skates, and more particularly to digger assemblies adaptable for attachment to in-line roller skates so that skaters may stand up on their toes without losing their balance or rolling out of a desired stationary position.
In-line roller skates have a plurality of wheels mounted for rotation in a common plane on a frame that is attached to a boot. Became of the arrangement of the wheels along a single axis, rather than the paired wheel arrangement on conventional roller skates, in-line roller skating more closely simulates ice skating than does conventional roller skating, having a capability for increased speed and maneuverability. It has consequently become a hugely popular sport and has spawned many associated recreational activities. One such activity is roller hockey. Roller hockey is played in a similar fashion to ice hockey, with each team having a plurality of offensive and defensive skaters, as well as a goaltender to defend the team's goal. The object, as in ice hockey, is to win the game by scoring more goals than the opposing team.
Presently, roller hockey is played at all levels of competition, from the pick-up level where it is played on neighborhood streets ("street hockey"), to organized city and county leagues. It is even now played at a professional level, typically on an indoor rink which closely resembles an ice hockey rink without the ice surface.
Many equipment accommodations have been made to account for the different playing surface utilized in roller hockey with respect to ice hockey, essentially compensating for the fact that a concrete or asphalt surface is harder and less forgiving, and has a much higher coefficient of friction, thereby inhibiting sliding. For example, the puck used in roller hockey typically includes ball bearings, so that it slides in a nearly frictionless fashion across the playing surface. However, one big difference between the two sports is that in ice hockey, the goaltender has greater control and stability in goal, because he is able to slide laterally, and his skates are often equipped with "diggers", comprising small teeth, at the tip of the blade, which grip the ice so that he may get up on his toes and stabilize himself in a stationary position, in preparation for a shot on goal by the opposing team. Thus, the goaltender is able to stop a high percentage of goal attempts. On the other hand, roller hockey goaltenders have no such ability to move laterally, and find it difficult to stabilize themselves in preparation for oncoming goal attempts. Consequently, roller hockey games are usually relatively high scoring compared to ice hockey games.
What is needed, therefore, is a means for providing roller hockey goaltenders with a way to stabilize themselves and react laterally in goal, so that they may perform at a higher level, thereby improving the quality and excitement of the game.